This invention relates generally to an electronic color display instrument for providing a patterned color visual display representative of music, and more particularly to an instrument and method in which musical notes are displayed as colored shapes and patterns on a color display such as a monitor or projection on a screen.
There is a need for an instrument with which an artist can create pleasing patterned color displays in the same manner as a musician can create music, or in which an artist can create patterned color displays to accompany music, or in which music can be rendered as a patterned color display.
In one embodiment, there is provided an electronic instrument which includes a piano-like keyboard connected to a processor through a digital interface. The keyboard is configured so that, when a key is depressed, a color code is generated. The processor receives the color code and matches the color code with coded colors in a stored color palette and generates the appropriate value of the red/green/blue to display the coded color. The processor also generates control signals to control the shape and pattern of the displayed colors. All of the processor-generated signals are then fed to a monitor or projector to display the selected colors represented by the color code as a preselected shape and color at a predetermined location to visually display a color pattern. The keyboard instrument includes a plurality of keys, each representing a different note and color selected in the palette which represents the musical scale, which can be represented by a color code which determines the color hues and values. Thus, the artist can manipulate the keys to provide a display having a selected arrangement of colored shapes. If the keyboard is a music keyboard, it can be manipulated to create music with a simultaneous patterned color display. The color can be displayed by projecting light onto a screen, wall or other object, or on a color monitor. The display can include a pattern of colors where one, two or more colors can be played and displayed at one time in different positions. In another embodiment, the electronic instrument can receive digital information representing music, convert the notes or tones to a color code and generate a color display representative of the music.
Thus, there is provided an instrument for generating a color display of musical notes or selected colors in which a processor including a stored pallette(s) representing colors is programmed to receive digital information representing stored colors or musical notes and generating and transferring color signals representing the color(s) selected from the stored color pallette to a color display responsive to said color signals to display said musical notes as selected colored shapes at different locations.